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Rothiemurchus
has much to offer visiting
birdwatchers, with a great
diversity of habitats ranging from
the water, farmland and mixed
woodland of the River Spey flood
plain, through the old Caledonian
pine forests to the high mountain
areas of Braeriach in the
Cairngorms.
Many come to see Dotterel and
Ptarmigan on the high tops,
Scottish Crossbill, Crested Tit,
Blackcock and Capercaillie in the
forests, Osprey and Goldeneye;
Rothiemurchus is home to all of
these.
One of the best places to view
Ospreys diving for fish is the
estate trout fishery. The birds
take advantage of a good source of
food and , as hungry chicks
develop through the summer months,
visit frequently.
A quiet walk through the forest
paths should yield a sighting of
Crested Tit or Crossbill. These
birds can often be seen in the
wooded margins of Loch an Eilein,
even when large numbers of
visitors are enjoying a walk
through the area. Freshly opened
pine cones lying on the ground are
a sign that Crossbills have
recently been in the area.
Rothiemurchus pine woods
still harbour Capercaillie, but
these can be difficult to see.
Capercaillie are presently a
species in crisis, with numbers
dwindling to a point where some
estimates predict the bird may be
again extinct in Scotland by 2010.
A variety of reasons contribute to
the overall decline: weather,
predators, bird strikes on fences,
habitat loss, disturbance by
people and dogs at lek sites and
nests.
Everyone can contribute to the
urgent measures needed to help
this bird. Rothiemurchus asks
visitors to help by avoiding
unneccessary disturbance of lek
areas.
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